


Saba

by Eleen



Series: Domestic Dorks 'verse [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: (In chapter 2), Cats, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Saba the cat, Self-Indulgent, That's it, They get a cat in this one, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-15 20:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15420915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleen/pseuds/Eleen
Summary: Rin and Haru decide to adopt a cat. Fluff ensues.





	1. Two Becomes Three

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little self-indulgent fic about Rin and Haru adopting a cat because what are some of the things I love most in life? Rinharu and cats. Put them together and I love them even more.
> 
> I imagined the cat in this fic to look kinda like a tuxedo cat, the closest picture that fits the image in my head is [this one](http://www.cat-breeds-encyclopedia.com/images/tuxedo.jpg), but you’re absolutely free to decide what the cat looks like for yourself! In my experience, though, black cats with white socks are usually very cuddly and social and ‘easy’, so that’s the personality of the cat in this fic.  
> Also, just for clarification, saba means mackerel in Japanese.
> 
> This fic is set in my [Domestic Dorks 'verse](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1085241), but it can be read on its own just fine. If you're not into smut, but you want to have some backstory on this little sorta-AU I created, you can just read the beginning of [Giving Orders](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15320178) to get an idea of what I imagine their house to look like.
> 
> Anyways, enough rambling. Enjoy!

It was a chilly, rainy evening, and Rin and Haru were sitting on the couch together. Two steaming mugs of tea were sitting on the coffee table in front of them and they were both doing their own thing. Haru was reading a water-related magazine and Rin had his laptop in his lap. They sat close to each other, shoulders touching, and a single blanket was slung over their legs. Rin was looking at a page on his laptop he’d been visiting a lot lately, and he decided it was time to finally discuss it with Haru.

“Hey, Haru?”

“Hm?”

“What are your thoughts on getting a cat?”

“…Why?”

“Nothing,” Rin said, a little too quickly. Haru turned his head and gave Rin a look that said ‘ _I’m definitely not buying that’_ and stayed silent. Rin relented.

“Okay, well, see, there’s this Facebook page from the shelter here in town that I follow, and they post about the animals they have up for adoption, and normally I just look at them and go on with my life, but I just can’t get this cat out of my mind. It’s like it’s waiting for us to adopt it, like it’s… Destiny or something,” Rin said, a blush creeping onto his face.

Haru noticed Rin blushing and couldn’t resist smiling. Rin was being his _romantic self_ as always and it was adorable.

“Hmm, well, I’ve never had pets before, but the neighborhood strays used to come and visit a lot and I kind of miss them, so. Maybe it’s a good idea.”

“Really?” Rin’s face lit up.

“Sure. What does she look like?”

Rin maximized one of the photos of the cat on his laptop and turned it around slightly so Haru could see.

“Look! She looks so sweet! Here it says she is two years old, she got rescued after they found her in poor health on the side of a highway, she’s sterilized and chipped, and she’s completely healthy now. And they say she’s really sweet and has been waiting for a home for _seven months_ already. Seven months!” Rin clicked through the photos of the cat on the page as he spoke.

“Look at this picture, look how cute she looks,” Rin said adoringly.

“She does,” Haru agreed, smiling.

“The shelter gave her the name Gigi, but I think I want to pick another name for her, to make it more of a personal name that means something to us, you know. Eh, wait, I mean, if- if we decide to adopt her, of course, I mean…”

“I agree.”

“Wha- You do?! Wait. About the name, or that we’re getting her?”

“Both.”

“Well then, what _should_ we name her?” Rin asked, pondering.

“We’ll wait. We don’t know her personality for ourselves yet.”

“Hm. You’ve got a point. We’ll wait and see!” Rin smiled at Haru, incredibly excited that they were going to adopt this cat. Haru smiled back and gave Rin a kiss, then cuddled close to Rin, his head tucked in the crook of Rin’s neck. He yawned.

“Are you gonna call the shelter?”

“Sure, it was my idea after all. I’ll do it tomorrow, it’s too late now.”

“Hm, you’re right,” Haru said through another yawn.

“We gotta get you to bed, Haru. C’mon.”

Rin gently separated himself from Haru and got to his feet. He extended his arm to Haru to lift him to his feet as well, and he kept holding his hand while he dragged him upstairs to get ready for bed.

 

 

They spent the next few days calling the shelter to make an appointment and buying everything they needed at the pet store. They agreed they wanted to do most of their preparations together, but today Haru had gone out to get some essential supplies on his own. Rin was gone the whole day at his mom’s, helping her by doing some work for her around the house.

Rin realized he had made a mistake when Haru came back with a bunch of water- and fish-themed items. Haru’s eyes sparkled as he showed Rin all the things he had bought and Rin couldn't help but smile at Haru’s clear enthusiasm. Haru showed Rin a blue collar with white and red fishes on it, a turquoise feeding bowl with a fish engraved on it, various fish-shaped toys, and even a pet bed that looked like a shark.

“And look what I found, an automatic water fountain so she’ll always have fresh water!”

Rin snorted. Haru was being so preciously _Haru_ about this, that Rin completely forgave him for only bringing fish-themed stuff. The stuff he’d picked out _was_ rather cute after all, so it was fine.

Rin looked around him to find their ‘cat supplies’ checklist and grabbed it, checking off everything Haru had just bought.

“Okay, so let’s check our list…”

> ☑ Dry food
> 
> ☑ Wet food
> 
> ☑ Treats
> 
> ☑ Food + water bowls
> 
> ☐ Litter box + scoop + filling
> 
> ☑ Collar
> 
> ☑ ID tag
> 
> ☐ Cat carrier
> 
> ☑ Toys
> 
> ☑ Brush
> 
> ☑ Bed
> 
> ☐ Scratching post

“Looks like we the only things we still need to get, are some of the bigger things.”

“We can get those tomorrow.”

“Yeah. We’re gonna buy things that don’t involve fish or water, though,” Rin snickered.

“That’s fair, I guess,” Haru said with a little pout.

 

 

“Haru, you coming?”

“Yeah.”

Haru put aside the laundry he had just been folding and went downstairs. Rin had already put on his shoes and coat and was leaning on the wall, waiting for Haru.

“I can’t wait!”

“I know,” Haru replied with a small smirk.

“Oi! You were pretty excited about it, too!”

“I _know_ ,” Haru repeated, smile widening.

Rin chuckled and bent down to pick up their newly bought cat carrier.

“We’re gonna get our girl!” Rin said giddily.

They arrived at the shelter and quickly went inside. It was a newer building and the interior was done in such a way that it felt cozy and homely, rather than cold and bare. They walked up to the front desk where a female volunteer was sitting, clacking away at her keyboard. When she saw them approach, her eyes widened and she smiled as she addressed them.

“Hello, and welcome! What can I do for you today?”

“We made an appointment to adopt Gigi,” Rin said happily.

“Ah! Gigi! She’s such a sweet girl, but somehow no one has shown any interest in adopting her, yet. That is, until you came along, of course!”

“Yeah! We saw her on you guys’ Facebook page, on that post reminding everyone that she still hadn’t found a home, right, Haru?”

“Yeah. She looked really sweet.”

“Well, she is! C’mon, I’ll introduce you to her.”

She grabbed a set of keys and motioned for them to follow her, walking through the building until they went through a door labeled ‘CATS.’ Inside were about a double dozen of nice-looking and rather spacious ‘cages’ that all had plush beds and food bowls inside of them. In the middle of the room was a big cat-condo, where three cats were currently curled up, sleeping peacefully. Other cats were roaming around the room or sleeping in other places, and a few looked up and meowed at them in greeting. There were also a couple of cushiony benches, and the lady gestured for them to sit down.

She looked around the room for a second.

“Ah! That’s her, look, she’s already dying to meet you!”

The cat that, for now, was still called Gigi, happily walked over to them, making a little _‘mrow’_ sound to greet them.

“Hello there! We’ve come to pick you up!” Rin said in a friendly tone, talking much higher than usual. Haru wasn’t used to Rin talking like that and almost did a double-take. _Why is he so cute when he’s being such a dork?_

Rin extended his arm in greeting for the cat to sniff his hand. She did so, and then head-butted it enthusiastically. Haru reached out as well and she quickly turned her attention to him, sniffing and head-butting his hand as well. She then rubbed against their legs and started purring.

“What a cutie!” Rin cooed.

“She’s nice,” Haru said with a soft expression on his face. He pet her head and scratched her chin, something she seemed to greatly appreciate, leaning into his touch and closing her eyes, still purring loudly.

“We’re _definitely_ adopting her,” Rin said, positively beaming.

“Good! I’m so happy to hear that! You stay here with her, while I grab the papers to make everything official,” the lady said, bustling out of the room.

“That lady’s nice,” Rin said in a hushed tone when she was out of earshot.

“I was afraid she might, I dunno, judge us because we’re both men and stuff.”

“She could think we’re brothers or something, but yeah, I get what you mean,” Haru replied.

“Did you… Get the feeling she might know who we are?”

“Maybe. I mean, our faces are plastered everywhere, both online and on billboards, so.”

“True,” Rin snorted.

A few minutes later, the lady appeared again with some papers in her hands.

“Now, I need you to fill these out for me, and after that, you only need to pay the adoption fee and then she’s yours! I see you’ve brought a carrier along with you, very good! I’ll try and coax her into the carrier without causing her too much stress while you two fill in the papers.”

Rin filled in the required information with Haru looking over his shoulder, writing their signatures on the bottom. The lady was looking at them as she did so and her eyes widened a little bit.

“Oh! Um, you guys are… Matsuoka Rin and Nanase Haruka, right?” She said, suddenly a lot more timidly then how she had addressed them before.

“Ah, yeah, we are,” Rin replied, smiling.

“Could I, uh, maybe, get… Both of your signatures?” She asked hopefully, looking very flustered, her cheeks reddening.

“Sure! Do you have anything for us to write on?”

“Uh… Oh! Yeah!”

She grabbed her phone and held it out. The phone case had an art piece featuring the Olympics logo on it.

“Fan of the Olympics, eh?” Rin beamed.

“Yeah! I watch you guys swim a lot and I’m so rooting for you two to get to the Olympics one day!”

“Thank you! Oh, I’m not sure this pen will work on it though, do you have anything else?”

“Oops, of course! Let’s go back to the front desk with Gigi, I’ve got a marker around there somewhere.”

They walked back, Haru holding the carrier that contained the new addition to their household, and finished up with the forms and the signatures. They paid the adoption fee and were now ready to go home.

“We’ll go now. Thank you so much!” Rin said as he bowed to the lady, Haru doing the same. She returned the gesture.

“Thank you for giving Gigi a new home, and thanks for the signatures! Best of luck to the three of you!”

“Thanks! Bye!” Rin and Haru called over their shoulders as they turned around and left the building.

 

 

The car ride back wasn’t long and Gigi behaved rather well. Rin had read that most cats don’t like traveling and he had to say, she was doing surprisingly well. She meowed a few times and she looked a bit fearful, but other than that everything was okay.

When they arrived home, they put down the cat carrier and opened its door, giving Gigi the chance to explore her new space, without pushing her. Rin went to grab some cat food to put a little bit into Gigi’s new bowl, thinking she might be hungry after her trip.

Both Rin and Haru sat down on the floor, keeping their distance so the cat wouldn’t feel threatened by their presence, but still keeping an eye out to see how she was doing. She had come out of the carrier and was walking around the room slowly, very alert, her tail parallel to her body, sniffing everything that she came across. As she walked around, she gradually came closer to Rin and Haru. She sniffed them both of them for a second, then head-butted them just like she had done in the shelter. Rin offered his hand and she rubbed her cheeks on it enthusiastically, something cats do as a way to leave their scent. Haru reached out to pet her back and she began to purr, a clear sign she was feeling okay. Her tail was now up, another sign she felt safe.

“Haru, she’s _purring_ already,” Rin said softly.

“I know, it’s such a nice sound…”

They sat there for a long while, cuddling the new member of their household.

After a while, the cat seemed to decide she had enough and walked over to the other side of the room, spotting her food bowl and eating her food with vigor.

 

 

“We should think of a name for her now that we know what she’s like,” Rin said.

Haru thought for a moment, then his face lit up.

“The name Saba fits her.”

“Wha- But that's not even a female name!”

“Don't care. It's cute.”

“Cute?! It’s a fish!”

Rin sighed in desperation.

“Look. What about, I dunno, Lilly? Or Misty? Callie? Willow?”

“...Aren’t most of those names from that app with those cats you're so obsessed with?”

“...Maybe,” Rin mumbled.

“Those names don’t fit her. The name Saba does,” Haru pressed on. He was not going to drop this, and they both knew it.

“Please, Rin?” Haru said with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Rin sighed again. Haru was pouting and he _knew_ it made Rin’s resolve weak.

“Okay, how about this. We feed her mackerel and see if she likes it. If she does, we’ll call her Saba and you can share your precious mackerel with her from now on. If she doesn’t, we’ll give her another name.”

“You’re on,” Haru said with a competitive glint in his eyes as he turned around to go to the kitchen, wanting to try their experiment out immediately.

“WAIT!” Rin suddenly shouted. Haru looked at him questioningly.

“What? Changed your mind?”

“No! It’s just, well, we should check if cats can have mackerel. I don’t want to risk making her ill. Maybe cats are allergic to it or something, I dunno.”

“Well, look it up, then. I’m gonna go ahead and grill some. If she can’t have it I’ll just eat it myself.”

Haru proceeded to the kitchen to start on the mackerel and Rin followed him while taking out his phone. He sat down at the breakfast bar and did some quick googling.

“Okay… It says here that they probably shouldn’t have it raw, but they can have it cooked as long as it’s an occasional treat or you serve it along with normal cat food. Oh, and it can’t have bones in it.”

“Ah. Good,” Haru said as he put a rather big piece of mackerel on the grill.

“Eh, Haru, I don’t think she should have that much.”

“I know. I’m gonna have the rest.”

“Should’ve known,” Rin chuckled.

“Do you want some as well?”

“…Sure, why not, let’s all have mackerel together today. You know, as an initiation ceremony.”

“Don’t you mean a _romantic_ ceremony _?_ ” Haru teased, smirking.

“Oi! You know you love it when I’m being like that!”

“I do. I love _you._ ”

“Haruuuu,” Rin whined, blushing.

“I love you too, but you know that already,” Rin sighed.

“Yeah. Can’t hurt to hear it again, though. ‘Cause that’s so romant-”

“Shut up or the name Saba is an automatic no.”

Haru snorted.

“Get _Saba’s_ food bowl for me, will you?”

“Hey! That’s not her name!!”

“Yet,” Haru muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Haru said nonchalantly, smirking.

Rin handed Haru the cat’s food bowl and Haru put a small piece of mackerel on it. He plated the rest of the mackerel for the two of them and set their plates on the table. It wasn’t dinner time yet, so to prepare a full meal would be useless. They’d just have some mackerel as a snack. Haru didn’t mind. He could eat mackerel all day, every day.

“Where is she? Giii-gi! Where are you? Ah! There you are! We’ve got something for you!” Rin said, holding out the food bowl before putting it on the ground and taking a few steps back. Gigi ran up to the dish, sniffed it…

And began to eat.

“Guess that’s settled,” Rin laughed. Haru looked at their cat, now named Saba, with such amazement and pride that Rin started having a laughing fit, clutching his stomach.

“You- you should’ve seen your face, H-Haru! It’s like you were looking at your first-born child!!”

“Oi! I’m just happy she likes it as much as I do. Now at least I’m not the only one in this house who appreciates the taste of mackerel!”

“Well, m-maybe you can even- discuss r-recipes with each other!!” Rin bellowed, doubled over at this point. Haru just looked at him with raised eyebrows, his arms folded.

“Are you done?”

“Y-yeah, just- whoooh,” Rin let out a sigh, “I’m sorry, your face was just too precious,” Rin said, finally calming down enough to walk over to Haru and plant a kiss on his lips.

“You’re cute, Haru,” he said, his tone suddenly a lot softer and more serious.

“I know.”

Rin snorted, almost sending him into another laughing fit.

 

 

The three of them were downstairs, Haru busy preparing dinner, Rin cuddling with Saba. He decided to seek out one of the toys Haru had bought to play with her. He chose a stick with a cord on it that had a small fish attached to it ( _of course, what else would it be_ ). He moved the stick in his hands in a such a way that the fish started sliding over the floor. Saba looked on with big eyes and wiggled her butt, then pounced on the toy. Rin audibly gasped and let out something that sounded an awful lot like a high-pitched squeak.

“Haru!! Did you see that?! She wiggled her butt!”

“Rin. _What._ ”

“Just- look!”

Rin dragged the little fish out of Saba’s reach and across the floor again, and yet again she focused on her prey, wiggled her butt… and pounced.

“That’s really weird. And cute,” Haru commented, his lips curved into a smile.

“Haru, I’m so glad we got her! I’m so glad you wanted to adopt her as well!”

“Me too, Rin. She makes you happy, and that makes me happy.”

“Aww, and they say _I’m_ the romantic one,” Rin teased.

“Shut up, you’re so much worse.”

Rin continued to play with Saba while Haru finished up dinner. Eventually, the both of them sat down to eat while Saba recovered from her intense play session with Rin, laying on her side and washing herself.

After dinner, they decided to watch some swimming events, commenting on the other swimmers’ styles and times, sharing inside jokes with each other. Saba jumped on the couch and promptly plopped herself down on Haru’s lap. She began purring as he stroked her fur, kneading her paws into his thighs.

“She likes me better, Rin.”

“No, me! Saaaaba! Come here, girl! Come sit on my lap,” Rin pleaded as he lightly slapped his lap repeatedly, inviting her over.

Saba leapt off Haru’s lap and immediately walked away from them, focusing on something neither Rin nor Haru could see.

“Guess she doesn’t like either of us,” Rin snorted.

 

 

They went to bed early that evening, cuddling and leaving light kisses on each other’s skin. Rin could still not believe how _lucky_ he was to have Haru in his life, to have someone who he cared so much for and who cared just as much about him. He smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of Haru’s face.

Suddenly, they felt the bed shift with a light _plop_ and they both looked up to see Saba on top of the sheets. She walked up to their faces, butting her head against their heads and licking their faces. Haru was not accustomed to a cat’s tongue on his face, and it _tickled_. He let out a startled laugh, but didn’t pull away either. It was just such a cute gesture of Saba.

“Haruuu, she makes you happy too!”

“It tickles, Rin,” Haru said, letting out a small giggle.

“ _Oooh_ , that explains it,” Rin said with a smirk.

“Saba, tickle him! Tickle attack!!” Rin laughed as he started tickling Haru’s abdomen, causing Haru to laugh out even more.

“Why must you- hah- torture me l-like this,” he said, breathless, in-between laughs.

“It’s not torture, I just want to hear you laugh! It’s the most beautiful sound in the world! I won’t ever stop saying that!”

After a while, Rin took pity on Haru and stopped his tickling.

“Best sound in the world? Better than Saba purring?” Haru said after a few seconds, finally able to catch his breath.

“ _Yes_ ,” Rin said, determinedly.

Haru chose to respond by kissing Rin, holding his cheeks in his hands.

They felt the bed shift again and saw Saba had decided to lay down in-between their entwined legs, wanting to be part of the family.

“Hey, Haru… That’s the first time either of us have been in bed with a girl, amirite?” Rin joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

That earned him a pillow in the face.

“That’s fair, I guess,” Rin laughed.

They continued to cuddle, Saba laying at their feet, as they slowly drifted off to sleep. And so, their household had grown, and two had become three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought it’s weird these dorks called their cat Saba: When I was 4 I literally named our cat Giraffe and when I was 7 me and my 5 y/o sister named our second cat Zebra. Also Rin suggested the name Lilly because one of our current cats has that name SUE ME. The other names were from Neko Atsume SUE ME AGAIN.  
> Our Giraffe was with us for 17 years. Zebra was only with us for 3 years unfortunately, but I am blessed that she was with us at all.
> 
> The collar Haru got for Saba is actually an irl collar Giraffe wore at some point because honestly?? It secretly reminded me of Rin and Haru:  
> 
> 
> Move on to the second chapter for some more Saba time!


	2. Life with Saba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically a collection of small drabbles, rather than one single story. It's all about Rin, Haru, and Saba and how they interact together now that they're all together and stuff.
> 
> This chapter starts off with a mild description of an anxiety attack caused by a thunderstorm and it mentions the death of Rin’s dad. It’s only the first part, and it's nothing too graphic or sad, but you're warned. Please stay safe!  
> Also, Makoto and Gou are in this fic at some point. The MakoGou is implied, but it’s completely up to your interpretation.
> 
> EDIT: I wrote this before I watched tym so I didn't know about Steve, oops... I'll probably fix it later but for now please excuse the weird inconsistency you'll find.

Rin was alone for the afternoon. There was a light thunderstorm going on outside, and he was sitting on the couch, his knees drawn up to his chest. He _hated_ thunderstorms and what they still did to him, making waves of unease wash over him. Making him think of the thunderstorm in which his dad had died. He always felt unsafe and anxious while there was a storm going on and it _sucked_.

Rin inwardly cursed himself that he had to feel like this _right now_ , when no one could calm him down. Haru had gone to a swim training session that was at a different time from Rin’s, so he wasn’t home at the moment.

Rin checked his phone to see that Haru had already texted him about the storm:

> _saw the storm, sorry I can’t be there for you right now_
> 
> _can’t talk either because we still have 2 more hours to go_
> 
> _you’re safe there and you’ll get through this_
> 
> _please try to reach someone to calm you down if you feel overwhelmed_
> 
> _love you, see you soon x_

Rin greatly appreciated Haru’s stream of texts and it did make him feel a little better.

He tried calling his mom, but she didn't answer. Then Gou, but that went straight to voicemail. He didn’t want to call Sousuke, because he was on vacation and Rin didn’t want to bother him or accidentally wake him up in the middle of the night because of the timezone difference.

In his rising panic he couldn’t think of anyone else to reach out to.

“Okay. Okay, Rin, now stay calm, it's gonna be okay, this will pass…” Rin told himself, trying to will his breathing to slow down, just as another thunder strike echoed through the house.

His attempts to calm himself down weren’t working. He was anxious and restless and he just needed some comfort, but he couldn’t do it by himself. He felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes and the fear in his body was weighing him down.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of soft paws descending down the stairs.

“Mow! Mrrow!!”

Rin looked up to see Saba heading straight for him. She hopped on the couch beside him and stretched out her head to rub her chin on his hands, which were still wrapped around his knees.

“Hey, Saba… Seems like thunder doesn’t affect you, huh? It does for me, though…” Rin said shakily, scratching her chin, making Saba purr loudly.

Saba rubbed against Rin’s legs repeatedly and then tried to climb  in the narrow space between Rin’s folded legs and his chest. Rin smiled weakly and stretched his legs out to give her access. She immediately plopped herself down on his lap and kept purring.

Rin began petting her and she let out another ‘ _mrow’_ in thanks. He focused on the feeling of her soft fur underneath his hands, the sound of her purring, the feeling of paws softly kneading his thighs, and the warmth of her body on his lap. Her contentment was radiating off her in waves and Rin started to feel calmer. Her presence was soothing to him and he felt he could breathe more easily. She licked his hand with her small tongue and Rin smiled.

“Thank you, Saba,” he whispered, feeling tears fall from his eyes. These tears weren’t sad or fearful tears, these were tears of relief and gratitude.

And so Rin knew from that day on that he had yet another source of comfort whenever he felt anxious.

 

* * *

 

“Haru, can you get the door?” Rin shouted from upstairs.

“Sure!”

Haru opened the door to see Makoto and Gou, both beaming at him.

“Hi, Haru!” they said simultaneously, causing them to look at each other and let out a laugh.

“Hey, guys. Come in.”

Haru let them in, getting a hug from both Makoto and Gou, just as Rin came downstairs.

“Makoto, Gou! Welcome!” Rin said loudly, hugging them both as well.

They exchanged some more greetings and went into the living room, Haru offering to make them some tea. They gladly accepted his offer and they sat down on the couch while Haru went off into the kitchen.

“So, where is she? I want to see her!” Gou said enthusiastically, looking around frantically.

“She probably woke up from all the commotion, so wherever she is she’ll be in here soon,” Rin said.

“I can’t believe you two got a cat! I knew Haru liked cats because he used to take care of the strays, but I had no idea _you_ liked cats, Rin! Whose idea was it, anyway?” Makoto said, smiling politely.

“Mine, actually. And I actually love cats a lot, I’ve just never had one before,” Rin said, a little sheepishly.

“That’s true! Rin used to ask my parents for a cat or a dog a lot when we were kids! But it just never worked out,” Gou commented, pouting a little.

“I really wanted a pet as well, so we always used to play pretend,” she continued.

Rin smiled softly, remembering how he and his sister used to play as children.

“Yeah, we even went out on pretend-walks with our stuffed animals,” he chuckled.

“Aww, that’s so sweet! I used to play with Ren and Ran and their stuffed animals as well,” Makoto said.

“Tea’s ready,” Haru said, walking towards the couch with a tray in his hands. He put it on the coffee table and poured everyone a glass.

“Ah, thank you, Haru! We were just talking about not having pets when we were younger even though we really wanted one. Did you ever want a pet?” Makoto asked.

“I really wanted to have fish.”

“Haru! He means a cat or a dog or a hamster!” Rin said, chuckling.

“Oh. Then no, not really. But I did always like cats.”

“So how did you two suddenly decide to get Saba?” Gou asked.

“I saw her on the Facebook page of the local shelter here, and I just fell in love with her. She was in there for seven months already!” Rin said.

“Seven months?! Aww, good thing you adopted her!” Gou replied.

“Yeah, and on the site it said they had found her on the highway in poor health…”

“Ah, poor thing! That’s so sad! Is she healthy now?” Makoto asked, concerned.

“Yeah, she is,” Haru replied with a fond smile.

“She’s _home_ now,” he continued.

At that moment, they all heard a ‘ _mow!_ ’ as Saba walked into the room, heading for the two strangers sitting on the couch. She sniffed their legs and then rubbed herself on them. Makoto and Gou both leaned down to give her attention. Gou pet Saba’s back while Makoto scratched her cheeks, as she started purring loudly.

“What a sweetie! She’s adorable!” Gou squealed, looking up at Rin and Haru.

“You have great taste in cats,” she teased.

“Thank you, thank you,” Rin said, performing a mock bow and laughing.

“By the way…” Makoto began, “How exactly did she get the name _Saba_?” he asked, knowingly looking at Haru.

“It fit her,” Haru simply said.

“We did a bet,” Rin added, grinning.

“Haru wanted to name her Saba, so I said that she had to like mackerel or else she would get another name.”

“I think we can assume she does like it, then,” Makoto said, laughing.

“Yeah, Haru now has to share his beloved mackerel. He loves it though,” Rin said, casting Haru an adoring look.

They all laughed, except for Haru, who just smiled softly.

 

* * *

 

Haru got out of the bathroom, a towel slung around his shoulders, and went downstairs into the living room. Haru smiled softly as he saw Rin asleep on the couch, with Saba sleeping on his chest. Saba was slightly moving up and down with the rhythm of Rin’s slow breathing. They looked peaceful together, both contently snoozing. Haru looked at Rin’s face, his beautiful features relaxed, his maroon hair splayed on the couch cushion below his head. Haru felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest, feeling love for this beautiful man who had fallen asleep with this adorable cat on his chest.

He decided he wanted to capture this moment, so he quietly grabbed his sketchbook and art supplies and settled on the plush carpet in front of the couch, sketchbook open in his lap. He put his pencil on the blank piece of paper in front of him and started sketching. He started with their outlines, Rin’s gorgeous form and Saba’s small body. He drew Rin’s pretty hair, his peaceful face, his broad shoulders, his defined chest covered with a V-neck, his strong legs wearing dark skinny jeans. He drew Saba, her little snout, her long whiskers, her cute ears. He drew her fur, making it look just as soft as it always felt.

Haru was completely engulfed in drawing the two of them, appreciating all the tiny little details, like the freckles on Rin’s shoulders, or the tiny moles on his arm, or the subtle variations in color of Saba’s fur. He lost track of time as he continued drawing, studying his unknowing models, now adding colors to his sketch.

Rin stirred and sighed, slowly waking up from a good nap. He still had his eyes closed when he heard the ‘ _skritch, skritch’_ of pencil on paper. Was Haru drawing? He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the light, and moved his head to the source of the sound.

“Hey, Haru,” he said, sleepily.

Haru looked up, halting his drawing for a moment.

“Good morning,” he said, and continued.

“What are you drawing?”

“You.”

“Ah,” Rin said, a little embarrassed. He was more than used to Haru drawing him by now, but it never got old that Haru _wanted_ to draw him, found him interesting and pretty enough to want to capture him on paper. He always felt incredibly loved by Haru whenever he saw a drawing Haru had made of him. He loved Haru and he loved his drawings. Even his simplest doodles were gorgeous, like whatever he put on paper came to life in such a unique, beautiful way.

“Hm, why now?”

“You looked really adorable with Saba on your chest. You were both sleeping.”

“Yeah, we must have fallen asleep like that.”

They were both quiet for a moment, then Rin spoke again.

“Is it almost finished? Can I move?” he said with a slight smirk.

“Yeah, if you want to. I’m just finishing it up.”

“Great! I want to see it!”

Rin lightly pushed Saba, who had also awoken at this point, off him, and she hopped off his chest and off the couch, sitting down on the floor to groom herself.

Rin stood up and walked over to Haru, looking down at his work. It was beautiful. Haru somehow always noticed every little detail and he drew them in such a way that they didn’t seem like imperfections, but like decorations, like extra things that made Rin special. Rin felt his heart swell and he leaned down to kiss Haru’s head.

“It’s beautiful, Haru.”

“Thank you. You’re beautiful, so it’s not that hard.”

Rin blushed and straightened up again, leaving Haru to finish the drawing to go and make some tea.

 

* * *

 

It was a sunny day and Rin, Haru, and Saba were all outside. Haru was floating peacefully in the pool while Rin was lying in the grass, reading a book. Saba was sleeping contently not far from where he lay.

Rin stood up to get something to drink. When he returned, he looked at the blossoms on their apple tree and was suddenly struck with an idea. He grinned and got to work.

Some time passed and Rin called out for Haru, still floating around lazily in the pool.

“Hey, Haru, look at this!”

Haru swam over to the edge of the pool and leaned his arms over the edge, looking in Rin’s direction.

“Look what I made!” Rin said with a huge grin on his face.

He had made a flower crown from the apple blossoms and put it on his head. What’s more, he had also made a tiny one for Saba to wear. She didn’t really seem to mind, but she was nevertheless a little confused about the thing that was currently sitting on top of her head.

This was such a typical _Romantic Rin_ moment that Haru couldn’t help but return the grin on Rin’s face.

“I can’t believe you gave _her_ a flower crown as well,” he said, still smiling.

“I thought, why not? And look, she doesn’t really mind!”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“So… What do you think? D’you like it?”

“You look beautiful,” Haru said earnestly. Rin immediately turned a bright shade of pink.

“Haruuu, you’re so sweet! I thought maybe you’d think it’s silly or something…”

“It _is_ silly. But it looks great. It’s very _you._ ”

“Thanks.”

“Rin?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you make one for me as well? Then the three of us match.”

Haru could swear he heard Rin whisper an excited ‘ _oh my god’_ under his breath before he replied.

“Ah, s-sure!”

Haru climbed out of the pool and ran a towel through his hair, then went over to Rin and sat down on the grass next to him. Rin was busy carefully weaving branches of white blossoms together and Haru watched, occasionally helping Rin by holding something in place.

“Done! Here, put it on.”

Haru put it on and Rin gave him a kiss.

“It looks good on you, Haru.”

“Thanks,” he said with a smile.

“C’mon, let’s take a selfie. Can you grab Saba?”

Haru leaned over and carefully lifted Saba off the ground to put her in their middle. Rin aimed his phone and starting taking pictures. He leaned over and kissed Haru on the cheek, taking a picture while he did so.

“That one’s private, of course,” he said, grinning.

When Rin was satisfied he had taken enough pictures, he opened up his Instagram to post one of them. Haru looked over and couldn’t help noticing something.

“Rin, your entire page is full of Saba. And I don’t mean the food,” Haru pointed out, pouting slightly when he said the last sentence.

“I know! But I can’t help it, she’s so cute! I love her and this is how I show it,” he said while snapping yet another picture, this time of Saba alone.

“I love her too. We made the right choice.”

“Yeah, we did,” Rin said, leaning over and planting a kiss first on Haru’s mouth, then on Saba’s head.

“I love both of you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos or a comment if you enjoyed this fic.
> 
> PLEASE tell me all about your cat(s) in the comments or just talk about cats in general because??? I love them so much??? You can even show me photos because I am always ready to look at pictures of cute cats!


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